ketchup

i have some catching up to do here in blog land.  it's quiet time though, so what better to do?! 
first is yesterday's post about last week's family fun adventure (using up the last of my downloaded pictures), then this one, and lastly: my monday menu post.
first, i'll start off with something that i learned.  i got an email today that stated march is National Peanut Month.  so, i agree with them that it's the perfect time to share amazing recipes using peanut butter.  whether your sweet tooth is craving brownies, bars, or cookies there's sure to be something in this peanutty list you'll love.  or maybe it isn't a sweet tooth at all, and you can share some yummy healthy meals with peanut butter added!  (even though all of these listed don't look like links... they are.  don't be afraid.)

1. Bake Not, Worry Not, Peanut Butter Bars — So easy! Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
2. Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge — Just want to eat it all
3. Classic No Bake Peanut Butter Bon Bons — Love
4. Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies — Perfect combo
5. Mouthwatering Peanut Butter Cookies —  So freaking good 
6. Double Peanut Butter Cake — Peanut Butter lovers unite!
7. Easy 15-Minute Peanut Butter Fudge — Scrumptious
8. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie — Yummy!
9. Grandma's Classic Peanut Butter Cookies — Favorite 
10. Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie —  So simple
11. Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies — Classic taste
12. No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls — Truly the best!
13. Amish Peanut Butter — Old fashioned 
14. No-Fail Bake Sale Peanut Butter Cookies — The best
15. Perfect No Bake Peanut Butter Balls — A favorite

and now onto something else:  my thoughts.

otter pop left for his last business trip of this winter yesterday morning.  he's only one time zone away this time and thankfully he's getting home thursday night (friday early morning) instead of friday night (early saturday morning), like the others.  i got really nervous last night that i might go into labor during the night.  no symptoms or signs... just going off of murphy's law.  but then i remembered that my brother and sister-in-law said they'd be in town 'till wednesday, so that calmed my nerves.  when i called my sister-in-law, (i'll call her "nicole") right before bed to remind her to be on call and answer her phone in the middle of the night, she informed me that they're leaving town today (monday) instead...  eek!  so i hope murphy is lawfully wrong this week and that i don't have the baby while her daddy is out of town!  i don't think i will, but man this girl feels HUGE. 

this pregnancy reminds me a lot of my pregnancy with binkins.  of course i'm about 20-30 pounds heavier and almost a decade older (give or take), but i guess the span between starboy and buttercup was enough for me to build back some "normality" to my abdomen.  there is absolutely NOTHING between my skin and my huge uterus.  i can see EVERY SINGLE MOVE she makes and i'm starting to get deformed because she's growing so big that i'm not as round as i am bumpy with her little shoulders and heels and elbows and whatever else she sticks out of her "circle" home. 

she's funny too, that she really plops on over to the side when i lay down.  when i get back up, i have this big lump over to the side of me... it takes her a while to get back to the center.  or, it hurts to roll over to the other side while she takes her time to adjust to the move. 

also, a difference with her and the others is that she's reaching all the way up to my ribs.  i've heard other pregnant women talk about getting kicked in the ribs, but never experienced it personally.  i think my torso must be long enough that my others have had plenty of room staying away from most of my skeletal system.  well, buttercup will every once in a while pry a little boney something up under my rib cage.  it DOES hurt!  (they weren't kidding!)  and i'm really glad my others left me alone up there!!!  on the flip side, she also will sick something boney down by my pelvic bones and try to tickle me.  THAT feels weird too!!!  i'm just wondering how long this girl actually is!  either she's gonna be about 24-25in. long... or she's just a real active mover and stretcher. 

i wonder what she's gonna look like.  i wonder if she'll have lots of hair like boo and starboy did when they were born.  i wonder if she'll have binkins and jones' ears or ones more like starboy and boo's.  i wonder if she's going to have cute little feet like jones.  i hope she's sweet like my others...  <3  i'm wondering all these things, but really i'm not ready yet.  so, i hope she stays put for a few more weeks! 

i decided that i hope she's born the last week or march, or in april.  that's when i'll be ready for her.  also, i'm completely terrified of labor and delivery.  i'm trying to learn everything i can about how to relax and be calm and relax my body so that she can come out nice and natural ---like how God created me to do it. 

these are all my current thoughts... or a lot of them, at least.  since otter pop's not here, i'll share them with you.  also, i'm wondering what we'll call the little girl.